THE LAND QUESTION.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLVII, Issue 12271, 3 September 1904, Page 5

THE LAND QUESTION.

CONTINUATION OF DEBATE

Per Press Association

WELLINGTON, September 2

I When the House niet at 2.30 Mr. Jas. Allen continued the delbaite on the land I question. He contended it was improI 'per to appoint a R'oyall! 'Commission to find a policy. The Government favoured the leasehold, 'but they were afraid ■to make it their policy. They were content to sink their principles because they were so fond of office and the em'olutnientis oif office. All the Opposition desired was that a tenant, after taking up his selection and fulfilling the conditions imposed, should have the option of acquiring ithe freehold. The improved value of the leaseholders' lands belonged to the holders, and he did not see how in converting the leasehold into the freehold the 'State could tabs away the in. crease in the value. The question before the House was whether Parliament was fit and competent to deal now with the question, whMi the Government, with all its machinery and all its agents and commissioners, wished to avoid. Those who voted for ftihe Royal Commission would volte for the impotence of Parliament itself. A self-respecting Ministry would have resigned and given way to those who -were iin favour of granting the option of the freehold. Mr. Taylor thought it was a .pity that the exigencies of party politics had fore, ed the Leaders of the two parties into positions unfavourable to themselves. Both the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition had 'been dodging round each other in ia party struggle. He would vote aga-'iist Mr. Massey's amendment because he opposed the granting of the freehold, but he would also oppose the Premiers motion because the Royal Commission was a party subterfuge. In spite of the early promiises of the Liberal party, the aggregation of large estates was going on, because the great Lfberal party had failed to impose an. adequate land /tax. The lease in perpetuity 'had been a miserable compromfse. He and the leaseholder believed that the only right course, if the leasehold" was to be converted into the freehold, was to make the freehold pay the present unimproved value, and not the old value. A Royal Commission was no more necessary to discover that obvious fact than a Commission to discover haw many pence were in a. shilling.

The Hon. MeGowan, pointed to the diversity of opinion expressed during tl>e debate as a strong argument in favour of the Premier's poM'cy. The comparison between the unearned increment and tL© goodwill was unfair. The goodwill could !be destroyed at any time, but the un. ea.rned increment could not be destroyed. He regretted that personal feeling had been shown during the debate/ The right thing to do on the whol-3 question was to set up a Co-mp ssion and so £,et all sides of the question. He contended that the State shouild own the whole of the land. The Opposition had been as strongly ia favour of federation with Australia as they were now in regard to the freehold, tout the Government, had proved by its .action in regard to federation that rt was th-a true friend of the farmer. Taking that action as a guide, the right ■■tiling to do was to carry the Premier's motion, and set up this Royal Commission.

The debate was 'interrupted- by the 5.30 adjournment.

The House r«suined at 7.30

Mr. Witheford, continuing 'the debate, fooged the Opposition! would assist the Govei'iianent to pass a Land Bill this session that would 'be of benefit to the whole .colony. He urged the reenactment of the Homestead Act;, especially in regard to the poorer lands north of Auckland. More should be dona to settle the lands of tlie colony, and in this connection he mentioned that eight mil'liion acres were locked up iby the Government and the natives. Something should be; done to get these lands settled and to prevent an exodus of our settlers to Canada and the Argentine, where greater inducements to settlement ,were offered. -He would also like to sec< greater attention given to the development of our gold-fields. Mr. Baume said the amendment ■of the Leader of tlie Opposition was . far removed from placing befoi-e the House the clear-cut issue of leasehold v. freeholld. ' B^recognised the dangers.in the leasehold in perpetuity system, one. of which was the creation of a large body of Crown tenants wlio would cause dis. order in politics by uniting to secure the best terms they could out of Parliament. He was prepared to allow leaseholders to have the freehold at the present value of tlie land, but no on© 'had the right to. come to Parliament and ask for a release from a contract, giving nothing in return. Tlie proper system of land tenure for the colony was freehold, and he would be prepared to sup. port a proposal that no further leases should be granted by the Government without the option of acquiring the freehold. If such an amendment had. been moved he would have found himself in a difficult position, and would have felt bound to support it. Sir William Russell said he had always held the' opinion that there should be power given to the Cronvn tenants to obtain the freehold. The O/ppostaon had been accused: of isordid motives in bringing forward this amendment, but such a statement was unworthy of those who made it. The Government ,did not to him appear to'have the courage of their convictions, and they were not prepared to take a. vote-on the, question. "Were thej to he told by 'the setting up of this iComan^ssdon that Ministers we're ignorant and oiscfes? If so, it jnight be a good tiling for the Coanmi&sion to inquire as to the useleseness and ignorance of Ministers, and why the Minister of Land®, 'who was supposed to admin. itster the Department of Lands, was a. cypher, and not allowed to do anything connected with his own Department. He contended that there had not been an increase in large estates during- recent years. He dondeimied -the Fair Rent

Bill .as an attempt to raise the rent on-, the perpetual leaseholders. ■Mr. Buddo.supported' the Premier'smotion. He was convinced that the amendment of the Leader of the Opposition, which, was to give ths freehold^ would result in tihe freeholder selling to the highest.bidder. Wip/w'oaild.be the highest" bidder? The fireen'older's neighbour, and hence it would1 result in theaiggregation of the large estates.